The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is proposing the establishment of a series of eight deepwater marine protected areas in the South Atlantic region through the development and implementation of Amendment 14 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan.  The MPAs are designed to protect a portion of the long-lived, deepwater snapper grouper species and their habitat from directed fishing pressure.  These species include snowy grouper, misty grouper, speckled hind, yellowedge grouper, warsaw grouper, golden tilefish, and blueline tilefish.

Proposed as "Type II" MPAs, fishing for and possession of snapper grouper complex species would be prohibited in the areas, but fishermen would be allowed to troll for pelagic species such as tuna, mackerel, and billfish.  The areas range in size from 2 X 4 nautical miles to 10 X 15 nautical miles (see maps below).  The restrictions would be permanent in order to protect the long-lived snapper grouper species, some who live for over 50 years, and to provide long-term protection of habitat.  In addition to the seven proposed areas that provide protection for natural habitat, the Council is proposing the creation of a deepwater artificial reef MPA off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.  The amendment also contains alternatives to prohibit the use of bottom longlines by shark fishermen in the MPAs in order to provide additional habitat protection.

Public involvement has been key in the development of Amendment 14 and the proposed MPAs.  An overview of the developmental process for Amendment 14 is included in a Historical Overview of the Council's MPA-Related Activities (also see below).  A series of 8 public hearings were held in coastal areas in the southeast in the Fall of 2006, concluding with a final hearing during the Council's September 18-22, 2006 meeting in Hilton Head, South Carolina. These public hearings were one more step in the 16 year collaborative process (see the MPA Source Documents page) between the Council, its advisors, and public stakeholders for developing MPAs as a management tool for snapper grouper species.

Amendment 14 Approved by Council (March 2007) - The Council approved Amendment 14 during its February 27- March 3, 2007 meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia, with the stipulation that a transit provision be included to allow commercial fishermen to cross areas with fish onboard but with all gear stowed.  Additional language in the Amendment regarding the prohibition of shark bottom longlines will also be included.

Council Approves Amendment for Submission to the Secretary of Commerce (June 2007) - The South Atlantic Council took final action to approve Amendment 14 for submission to the Secretary of Commerce during its June 11-15, 2007 meeting in Key West, Florida.  Upon approval and implementation by the Secretary, the amendment will create a series of 8 deepwater marine protected areas in the South Atlantic.  Read more...

 Notice of Availability for Amendment 14 Announced  (June 2008) - NOAA Fisheries Notice of Availability for Amendment 14 (MPAs) to the Snapper Grouper Management Plan.  Read more ...

Proposed Rule for Amendment 14 Announced (July 16, 2008)  - NOAA Fisheries Proposed Rule for Amendment 14 is published.   Fishery Bulletin   Proposed Rule (Federal Register Notice)

Documents and Maps

Final Amendment 14 to the Snapper Grouper FMP (9 MB PDF) -- As submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council for review by the Secretary of Commerce on July 18, 2007.

Public Hearing Document for Amendment 14 (3.6 MB PDF)
Includes background information, a complete listing of marine protected area site alternatives with maps, and a list of the Council's preferred alternatives for site locations.  Summary information regarding Amendment 14 can be found in the Public Hearing Summary Document (360 KB PDF). 

Please refer to the maps below for general locations of the proposed MPA sites (Updated 8/29/08) Note: To print, right-click on the image and save it to your desktop. 

Snowy Grouper Wreck MPA

Northern South Carolina MPA

Edisto MPA and Charleston Deep Reef MPA

Georgia MPA

North Florida MPA

St. Lucie Hump MPA

East Hump MPA

MPAs off NC, SC and GA

MPAs off Florida

As part of Amendment 14, the Council intends to coordinate with the NMFS Highly Migratory Species Division to regulate shark longlining within the proposed MPAs.  For more information, please view the Final Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. July 2006.

The Historical Overview of the Council's MPA-related activities (1990-2006) (36 KB, PDF) is an account of the collaborative process the Council undertook to arrive at the current proposed sites.

In addition, background information on the Council's process for developing MPAs (meeting minutes, reports) from 1990 to 2006 is available on the MPA Source Documents page. This information is also available on CD upon request from the Council office.